prevalence

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the proportion of a population that has a particular condition, disease, or attribute at a specified point in time — point prevalence — or during a specified period — period prevalence; prevalence is calculated as the number of existing cases divided by the total population (or population at risk) at the time of measurement; prevalence reflects both the incidence of new cases and the duration of the condition — diseases with long duration accumulate more prevalent cases even at low incidence rates, while rapidly fatal or quickly cured conditions have low prevalence relative to incidence; prevalence is the key measure for planning health service capacity and resource allocation, because it describes the burden of disease that must be managed at any given time; the relationship between incidence, prevalence, and duration is expressed as: prevalence ≈ incidence × average duration, a fundamental equation in epidemiology

Examples

• The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the population rose from 6 to 11 percent over twenty years, reflecting both rising incidence and improved survival.
• Point prevalence surveys conducted simultaneously across all facilities allow comparison of healthcare-associated infection rates between hospitals.